It’s called “Circus Galop” or “Death Waltz”, and it’s used to test the performance of player pianos. No single person has ever played it…so far. But if we can put a man on the moon, surely we can genetically engineer a superhuman species that can perform it…
Continue reading… “Unplayable piece used to test player pianos”
The elevator at the AquaDom in Berlin travels up the middle of the 82-foot tall aquarium.
To ride an elevator it usually just involves pushing a button and zoning out until the ding for your floor. Pay attention on these elevators or risk missing out on one of the most thrilling rides of your life (even if it only lasts 30 seconds). From climbing to a scenic overlook in rural China to an ascent up an American icon, these vertical feats of engineering are about way more than getting from point A to point B. (Pics)
Continue reading… “8 amazing elevator rides you need to see to believe”
Longtime users show no sign that they have tired of posting on Facebook.
No ” Facebook fatigue.” A survey released shows that people who have used the social networking site over a long period – since its founding in 2004, say – show no sign that they have tired of posting pictures, updating weekend plans or just relaying random thoughts.
Continue reading… “No sign of ‘Facebook fatigue’ for longtime users”
Marriage has been declining steadily in the USA for more than 35 years.
Many singles appear to be enjoying their unencumbered and unmarried state that two-thirds aren’t even sure they want to marry, suggests a broad national survey of the dating habits, sexual behaviors and lifestyles of 5,541 single adults across the U.S.
Continue reading… “Many single people looking for love, but marriage not a priority”
Leet in action.
You are most likely familiar with numbers being used to implicate letters, phrases or even symbols. In SMS (txting) shortcuts, for instance, 2 can also be used for “to”, 4 can mean “for” and the 8 spells “eat” in gr8, meaning great. This is called SMSish or textese or simply SMS language.
When numbers instead of letters are used to spell a whole word it is called leet – which, in leet, is written as 1337. Another example is n00b, a term for newbie. Andsoforth.
Leet originated in the 1980s in relay chat services and on bulletin boards. If you look at it for the first time it might seem difficult to understand but you’ll be surprised how quickly you will catch it. Train your brain with this example of leet…
Some perfectly functional middle-agers still turn to the drugs of their youth.
A burned-out Baby Boomer using hard drugs way into middle age may conjure images of addiction, destruction and death.
Continue reading… “Study finds some still dabble in hard drugs after 50”
It is now more important than ever to cover your mouth when sneezing.
A flesh-eating bug, which has been known about for years, has gotten so virulent it can now be spread by sneezing and coughing. Doctors suspect new victims caught the virus on buses or trains and enclosed spaces like elevators.
Although the flesh-eating bug has been documented for several decades, most patients suffering from its effects caught the strain in hospitals where treatment contained the spread and was relatively confined and hard to catch.
But the bacteria strain, an MRSA known as USA300, has become so powerful it can now be spread by sneezing. Even worse, the virus is spreading just by shaking hands…
Are you ready for Google’s new privacy policy?
Google’s new privacy policy has already caused a stir among users. Now, Congress and EU regulators are sniffing around the changes and aren’t happy about them — but Google doesn’t seem to care in the slightest.
According to The Hill, house lawmakers questioned Google representatives for two hours yesterday about the changes, but they still aren’t satisfied with the company’s explanations. Speaking to The Hill, Representative Mary Bono Mack said…
Continue reading… “Congress and the EU are fighting to change Google’s privacy policy”
The lenses sit directly on the eyeball, and have been engineered using nanoscale techniques to work as a focusing device that pairs with a pair of hi-tech glasses.
Innovega, a company in the U.S. says, contact lenses which focus 3D screens directly into people’s eyeballs could be on sale as early as 2014. The tiny ‘screens’ sit directly on users’ eyeballs and work with a pair of lightweight glasses with a built-in translucent screen.
Continue reading… “Virtual reality contact lenses could be here by 2014”
Antioch College
It sounds crazy but you can actually go to a private liberal arts college that will give you a full-ride tuition scholarship for four years. Seriously.
Continue reading… “Antioch College offers $106,000 education for free”
A picture of me speaking at yesterday’s TEDxReset in Istanbul.
Futurist Thomas Frey: Yesterday I was honored to be one of the featured speakers at the TEDxReset Conference in Istanbul, Turkey where I predicted that over 2 billion jobs will disappear by 2030. Since my 18-minute talk was about the rapidly shifting nature of colleges and higher education, I didn’t have time to explain how and why so many jobs would be going away. Because of all of the questions I received afterwards, I will do that here.
Big sound using age old principles.
I know I’ve been all about the old-fashioned-looking iPhone speakers lately, most of which are electricity-free. And 3D printing. So I’m jazzed the two have come together with this 3D printed iVictrola Gramophone dreamed up by Schreer Design and manufactured by Shapeways.
Check. It. Out. (video after jump…)
Continue reading… “iVictrola gramophone printed on a 3D printer magnifies your music”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.